Many upstanding containers capable of receiving, containing, transporting and storing liquid are provided with protective covers that closely overlie some or all parts of the exterior surfaces of the associated containers to serve one of a wide a variety of purposes.
These upstanding containers typically have centrally located interior chambers bordered by relatively flat bottom walls suitable to support the associated container atop a flat surface, as well as upwardly inclined top walls that join with upstanding sidewalls that extend between and connect peripheral parts of the bottom and top walls to cooperatively surround the centrally located interior chambers where liquids can be carried.
The upstanding containers are often provided with reduced diameter necks that extend upwardly from central regions of the top walls to where removable or openable caps of a variety of types and configurations are provided that selectively permit liquids to be introduced into, and withdrawn from, the interior chambers of the containers.
Protective covers carried by some of these upstanding containers help to retain removable caps on necks of the containers in closed and sealed positions until the caps are deliberately loosened and removed, or are pivoted from closed to open orientations.
Some protective covers are provided simply to releasably attach and protectively enclose information-containing pamphlets, or various other objects or articles, to the associated containers that purchasers will find useful when liquids carried in the containers are put to use. Caps that include sprayer nozzles are sometimes removably attached to containers by protective covers of this type.
Thermoplastic materials are sometimes used to form protective covers that can be heat shrunk to concurrently perform such dual tasks as 1) securely protectively surrounding an upstanding liquid-carrying container, while 2) gently releasably coupling to the protectively covered container some object of article that is intended to be removed and used by a purchaser of the liquid-carrying container just prior to when liquid from the container is to be dispensed and put to use.
Still another reason why an upstanding container capable of containing liquid may be provided with a protective cover is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,870 issued Apr. 7, 1992 to Roy Farris—the disclosure of which patent is incorporated herein by reference.
The Farris patent discloses a small, squat funnel that is carried only atop the top wall of an associated container that is typically used to carry motor oil or other automotive fluids such as are often sold in auto parts stores in upstanding plastic containers capable of housing one-quart, one pint, one-liter, one gallon, or other similar relatively small quantities of liquid.
The short, squat funnel of Farris overlies only the top walls of associated containers—which permits the funnels of Farris to protect only upper portions of associated containers before the funnels are removed from the associated containers, and then are used to duct motor oil or other automotive liquid that is poured from the associated containers and put to its intended use.